Rake



Oct. 28, 1930. o. M. BULLOCK RAKE Filed Jan. 21, 1928 attozmg Patepted Oct. 1930 PATENT orrics 081K I. BULLOCK, OI OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA BAKE Application fled January 81, 1928. Serial No. 848,378.

My invention relates broadly to rakes but more particularly to light hand rakes of the broom type, for light garden work such as the sweeping from lawns of its cut grass 6 thereupon. v

The objects of my invention include the provision of a simple, durable and inexpensive rake of the character set forth, one constructed in a manner that allows any tine of the rake portion to freely flex for its entire unsupported length irrespective of its adjacent tine, thus ada ting the corner areas of the rake tines to fur or bend as if sweeping with a common floor broom.

Another object is the provislon m a hand rake having its active portion constructed of a series of separate flat spring steel tines individually operative on garden refuse, such that the refuse will not clog the teeth of the rake due to the resiliency of the tines, each tine, as it were, reacting and kicking the refuse away as its tooth is released from service at the moment.

Other and ancillary objects of my invention will be suggested in the following description and in the uses to which my invention is put. vention may be attained with the use of less than all its preferred features. It is, desired, 3 therefore, that my invention be limited only by the claims constituting its final determination.

Referring to the drawings forming part of this specification:

Figure 1 is a lan of my rake construction as viewed when in use, the handle being foreshortened. v

Fig. 2 is a side view of Fig. 1, the transversescale of the drawing being enlarged for clarity.

Fig. 3 is a reverse plan of the rake from that of Fig. 1, the handle being omitted.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged section through the rake head at any tine and showing the manner of support of the tine therein, and

Fig. 5 is a magnified fragmental section of Fig. 4 showing in'dents in a time caused by peening blows on points on the rake head to hold the tine fixedly in the rake head.

Certain of the objects of m in- The preferred construction of my invention will now be described in detail.

The reference number 10 indicates the rake head of the present construction, 11 the tines thereof, and '12 the customary handle for the rake of the character described.

The rake head 10 is a piece of flat plate flexure to overcome tiresome wrist strains encountered in continued raking, which feature isalso an object of my invention.

The rake head has a series of broken transverse ridges 13 on one face thereof, preferably the under face, formed by depressing from the upper face the corresponding ridge areas. These ridges are slotted, as at 14, radially from the a ex 15 of the plate 10 to receive one end of t e tines 11 in snug fitting relation thereto, the said ends preferably extending beyond the ridge nearest the said apex for a purpose to be presently set forth.

A simple method of providing the slotted ridges 13 is to offset strap-like plate ortions havin only their ends attached to t e plate whereby said portions cooperate with the plate portions laterally thereof to provide tine-receiving loops, the slots 14 being thus defined at the ends of the loop openings. The

function of the ridges 13 bystriking up the strap-like plate lportions provides plate openings op osite t e rid es, whereby tines enaged t rough the a oresaid loops may be exed or bent into said openings, as is shown in Figure 5. The tines 11, in the construction shown, are formed of fiat s ring steel material of a suitable width an gauge for the purpose designed. The free unsupported ends of the tines are bent angularly as is the usual practice in hand rakes, to form the teeth 16 0f the rake.

The handle 12 of the rake is kerfed as at 17 for the embracement therein of the central portion of the plate 10 together with the extending ends of the central tines disposed in the kerf. A pair of rivets 18 may bind the whole in locking ri 'd engagement thereat.

It will be observe that the ridges 13 serve also as stiffening ribs to prevent transverse through said loop, the tine portion at said opening being offset thereinto and said strap- 11 e plate portion being complementary in shape to said offset tine portion.

.66 bar disposed along said surface and engaged bending of the rake head in the normal use of the rake, while thehandle ortion embracing the rake head together with the contacting laced tine portions thereon and extending in the kerf, form a reinforcement which prem vents longitudinal bending of the rake head and the buckling thereof.

It-willbe noted that each tine member 11 is a separate strip of material and separately positioned in its respective radial slot ali n- 15 ment. It is held in the desired set position by an indentation 19, shown clearly in Fig. 5,

formed by a light blow from a peening hammer on the top side of each ridge area of the series of broken ridges 13. The indents go 19 formed thereby hold the woven or laced tines in effective integral and rigid engagement with the rake head.

In the drawings, I have shown an embodiment of my invention, but it is to be understood that the invention may be embodided in other forms, each being a species of m invention, and the patent protection that desire, is all of that which comes within the spirit and scope of what I claim as new, and which claims are the following:

1. A hand rake. comprising a rake head of flat plate material, a series of flat spring steel tine members laeedly supported by the head, and a handle provided with a kerf for 88 the engagement therein of the plate, and said kerfed end of the handle adapted to embrace the free ends of the central tines for stiffening the late.

" 2. A and rake comprising a rake head of fiat plate material provided with a series of transverse slotted ridges, a series of flat spring steel tine members la'cedly su ported by the head in said slotted ridges, an a hand e provided with a kerf for the enga ement therein of the late, and said ker ed end of the handle a a ted to embrace the free ends ofthe centra tines for stiffening the plate in one direction, and the said transverse ridges adapted to stiffen the plate in another direction.

3. A hand rake comprising a rake head of flat plate material, tine members lacedl fixed in the head, and a handle rovided wit a kerf for the engagement t erein of the plate, said kerfed end of the handle adapted to embrace a tine-carrying portion of the plate for stifienin the plate.

4. In a hand ra e, a head member comprising a generally flat late having a strap-like rtion struck up t hereform and cooperating with the plate laterally thereof to define a tine-receiving loop at a plate surface, said plate portion overl in an opening through the plate, and a on 1e tine mem- 5. In a hand rake, a head member comprising a generally flat plate havin a strap-like portion struck u therefrom an cooperating with the plate aterally thereof to define a tine-receiving loop at a'plate su ace, said plate portion overlying an openin through the plate, and a tine member dis osed along said surface and enga ed throu said loop, the tine portion at said opening ing permanently ofiset 'thereat to enga e therein.

In testimony whereof, I a x m signature. 8

ORIN M. B LLOCK. 

